RESPONSE TO DISCUSSION BOARD 5

PURPLE GROUP – DISCUSSION BOARD – DT

According to four sources, John Hopkins, Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Matters, and USA Facts there were 1-2 million reported cases of Covid 19 in Maryland and 15,000-16,000 deaths. According to Maryland Department of Health and USA Facts, Frederick County had between 52,000-59,000 cases and between 500-600 deaths. Baltimore had between 154,000-176,000 cases and over 2,000 deaths. Montgomery County had between 216,000-253,000 cases and over 2,000 deaths. Prince George’s County had between 202,000-235,000 cases and roughly 2,000 deaths. Howard County had between 56,000-66,000 cases and between 300-400 deaths. To give a perspective on a smaller scale of incidences according to Maryland Matters, within the week of September 27, 2023, there were 2,196 reported cases and 18 deaths. There is higher incidence of cases in the heavily populated counties and Caucasian and African American populations for obvious reasons. As far as hospitalizations, the highest reported number of hospitalizations occurred in January of 2022, and almost 4,000 recorded hospitalizations. Compared to 2023, the highest hospitalization rates this year occurred in January as well with less than 1000 hospitalizations, which is a major improvement. It shows Maryland is progressively improving Covid 19 incidences. It may also be related to the fact that a huge portion of the populations is fully vaccinated. It may be that knowledge on Covid 19 is expanding and more services are available. According to John Hopkins, Covid 19 only makes up a small number of occupied ICU beds. Also, in the Maryland Department of Health based off CDC guidelines, Maryland has low incidences of hospital admission Covid 19 related per every 100,000 individuals. According to John Hopkins and USA Facts 14 million doses of vaccines were administered, and 4 million people are vaccinated, which equates to 80% of the population. 90% of the population in Maryland only received at least one dose. If the percentage of those who were fully vaccinated were higher it would be beneficial to those heavily populated counties. It would be interesting to dig deeper into why the percentage of fully vaccinated individuals does not match the ones that completed at least one dose. That means maybe 10% have not completed the series. Is this where the investigation comes in? Even though the incidence of Covid 19 is significantly better, to prevent thousands of deaths it is important to promote full vaccination series. As the strains continue to differ in Covid 19, it is important that there is booster every year, or Covid 19 cases will not significantly drop but may slightly increase in heavily populated counties or cities. Covid 19 boosters should be administered with the yearly flu vaccine so it would not seem so tasking to people to schedule appointments for boosters. Also, it will give the opportunity for health care professionals to promote and educate on completing full series and boosters. Although there is these statistics, Maryland is doing significantly better.

References 

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. (2023a, September 27).  Covid-19 data. Maryland Matters. https://www.marylandmatters.org/covid-19-in-maryland-2/

Maryland Matters. (2023, September 27).  Covid-19 data. Maryland Matters. https://www.marylandmatters.org/covid-19-in-maryland-2/

Maryland.gov. (n.d.).  Maryland Department of Health covid-19. Maryland.gov Enterprise Agency Template. https://health.maryland.gov/covid/Pages/Maryland-COVID-19-Data.aspx

USAFacts. (2023, October 2).  Maryland Coronavirus Vaccination Progress. USAFacts. https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/state/maryland/

ORANGE GROUP – DISCUSSION- LIONEL

One flaw in the US healthcare system that was made evident during the pandemic was the lack of access to affordable treatment for COVID-19 and in general. There are those who rely on their employer in order to have health insurance, and there are those who have no health insurance, making them have to file for unemployment insurance. Plus, the pandemic caused many people to lose their jobs and probably main sources of income, causing millions of people to try and pay out of pocket. Those events happening only make affording healthcare worse and prolong the pandemic (King, 2020). One innovation during the pandemic that improved healthcare was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This act made all private insurance plans cover Covid-19 testing and future vaccines as well as eliminate cost-sharing payments for plan members for select private insurers. Some of those private insurers would be Humana, Cigna, UnitedHealth Group, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. It even gave "tax credits, emergency grants, and loans to help businesses keep employees on the payroll or on furlough through June 2020, while extending and increasing unemployment benefits for those who lost their jobs" (King, 2020). This made access to healthcare easier, but it's not like it's a long-term solution.

     The flaws in the US healthcare system are unfortunate and the acts that have been passed do help, but we also have to hold ourselves accountable. There are ways we can prevent the spread even further, especially since the amount of people getting COVID-19 is increasing again. Some ways include getting the COVID-19 vaccine, getting tested for COVID-19 if needed, maintaining hand hygiene, staying away from people with COVID-19 or isolating yourself if you have it, and making sure ventilation is up to par (CDC, 2022). Even with those interventions in mind, most people don't always comply and even with people actually getting the disease and dying from it, some people still see it as a myth or fake magic at work. I would like to add to actions I saw occurred during the pandemic to help slow or eliminate the spread. From time to time, I would see libraries, recreational centers, or food drives give out free at-home COVID-19 tests, N-95 and surgical masks, and even hand sanitizer. Places that do things like that help many people because those items are not cheap. It lessens the financial burden on those who are of vulnerable populations and helps slow the spread. 

      Speaking of innovations and problem-solving, let's discuss what a major part of the government is doing to aid in healthcare and slowing down COVID-19. To put it briefly, our current president, Joe Biden, and current vice president, Kamala Harris, created a seven-point plan to beat COVID-19, which also aids in healthcare as a bonus. The first part is to ensure all Americans have access to free quality testing. The second part is to ensure everyone has the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and that we won't have to rely on other countries or continents to get such things. The third part is to give "clear, consistent, evidence-based guidance for how communities should navigate the pandemic – and the resources for schools, small businesses, and families to make it through" (The White House, 2020). The fourth part is to make sure treatments and vaccines are distributed effectively and equitably. The fifth part is to protect the elderly and others at high risk by overseeing health disparities and populations that currently have COVID-19 spreading in their areas. The sixth part is to remake and spread defenses to predict, prevent, and reduce any kind of pandemic threats. The last part is to carry out mask mandates by collaborating with governors and mayors and asking the Americans to step up in times of crisis (The White House, 2020). Improvements in healthcare seem to come and go, but as long as we prioritize safety and make sure that no one gets rejected from healthcare, things could turn out for the better.

References

CDC. (2022, August 11).  COVID-19 and your health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20basic%20health

King, J. S. (2020).  Covid-19 and the need for health care reform. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(26). https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2000821

The White House. (2020).  Combating COVID-19. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/priorities/covid-19/